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Republic of Paraguay, República del Paraguay. 5,904,000. 50,000 speakers of American Indian languages not counting Paraguayan Guaraní (Adelaar 1991). National or official languages: Paraguayan Guaraní, Spanish. Literacy rate: 81%–90%. Immigrant languages: Greek (2,470), Hunsrik, Italian (26,000), Japanese (12,000), Korean (6,000), Portuguese (636,000), Ukrainian (26,000). Also includes speakers of Chinese varieties (7,500). Information mainly from W. Adelaar 1991, 2000; Adelaar and Muysken 2007; SIL 1969–2007. Blind population: 4,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population: 316,214. Deaf institutions: 3. The number of individual languages listed for Paraguay is 22. Of those, 20 are living languages, 1 is a second language without mother-tongue speakers, and 1 has no known speakers.

:: List of Languages ::

Aché [guq] 1,360 (2007). Ethnic population: 1,500. Eastern departments of Alto Paraná and Caaguazú; Chopa Pou, Cerro Moroti, Puerto Barra, Koetuvy, Ypetimi and Arroyo bandera reservations.Alternate names: Axe, “Guaiaqui” , “Guayakí” , Guayaki-Ache, “Guoyagui”. Dialects: 6 dialects. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I

Ayoreo [ayo] 2,300 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Population total all countries: 3,070. Chaco, northern Alto Paraguay departments. Also in Bolivia. Alternate names: Ayoré, Moro, Morotoco, Pyeta Yovai. Dialects: Tsiracua. Classification: Zamucoan

Chamacoco [ceg] 1,800 (2007 Perik). Northeast Chaco, east Alto Paraguay Department, Puerto Bahia Negra, Puerto Diana, Puerto Esperanza, Dos Estrellas, Fuerte Olimpo, along Paraguay River. Possibly some in Brazil. Alternate names: Ishiro, Jeywo, Yshyro. Dialects: Chamacoco Bravo (Tomaraho), Ebitoso (Ishiro). Classification: Zamucoan

Chorote, Iyo’wujwa [crq] 530 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). 480 monolinguals. Boquerón District, Santa Rosa Town; Mcal, Estigarribia, Pedro P. Pena, Campo Loa, Platanilia, Yakaquash, Filadelfia, Neuland.Alternate names: I’no’, Inkijwas, Manjuy. Dialects: Manjui, Choroti. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco

Emok [emo] Extinct. East Chaco, near Asunción. Alternate names: Toba, Toba-Emok. Classification:Mascoian

German, Standard [deu] 166,000 in Paraguay. 19,000 L1 speakers of Plautdietsch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German

Guana [gva] 280 (2007 Perik). Boquerón, Salado River, south of Chamacoco, north of Sanapaná, Loma Plata, Machete vayre, Castilla near Rio Mosquito, Rio Apa. Alternate names: Cashquiha, Kaskihá. Dialects: Layana (Niguecactemigi), Echoaldi (Echonoana, Chararana). Similar to Sanapaná [sap]. Classification: Mascoian

Guarani [grn] A macrolanguage. Population total all countries: 4,926,984.

Guaraní, Ava [nhd] 7,000 in Paraguay (1991). Population total all countries: 11,900. East Paraguay. Also in Argentina, Brazil. Alternate names: Apytare, Ava, Chiripá, Nhandeva, Ñandeva, Tsiripá, Txiripá. Dialects: Apapocuva. Similar to Paraguayan Guaraní [gug]. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I

Guaraní, Eastern Bolivian [gui] 2,530 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Chaco. Alternate names: “Chawuncu” , “Chiriguano” , Guarayo, Guasurango. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I

Guaraní, Mbyá [gun] 16,400 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Departamentos de Caaguazú, Guairá, Caazapá, San Pedro, Concepción, Canindeyú, Itapúa, and scattered. Alternate names: Mbua, Mbyá. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I

Guaraní, Paraguayan [gug] 4,650,000 in Paraguay (1995). Population total all countries: 4,850,000. Also in Argentina.Alternate names: Avañe’e. Dialects: Jopará (Yopará). One Chiripá speaker [nhd] indicated it was bilingualism rather than linguistic closeness that made Paraguayan Guaraní intelligible to him. Jopará is the colloquial form mixed with Spanish loanwords, used by 90% of the population in Asunción area. Lexical similarity: 80% with Chiriguano [gui] and 75% lexical similarity with Mbyá [gun]. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I

Lengua [leg] 15,000 (2007 Perik). Chaco, Presidente Hayes Department, Boquerón. Alternate names:Enxet. Dialects: Northern Lengua (Eenthlit, Vowak, Lengua Norte), Southern Lengua (Lengua Sur). Differences between the 2 dialects reportedly mainly phonological and orthographic. Southern Lengua seminomadic. Classification: Mascoian

Maka [mca] 1,500 (2000 A. Chemhey). Ethnic population: 1,500 (2000). Southwest, Presidente Hayes Department, Qemkuket; Main village north of Asunción in Mariano Roque Alonso; Par River; a changing number in a very small reserve in Ciudad del Este 4 blocks from the bridge to Brazil; Encarnación near the airfield. Alternate names: Enimaca, Enimaga, Maca, Macá, Mak’á, Maká. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco

Maskoy Pidgin [mhh] Puerto Victoria. Classification: Pidgin, Mascoian based

Nivaclé [cag] 13,700 in Paraguay (1991 SIL). Population total all countries: 13,900. Chaco, Departments of Presidente Hayes and Boquerón. Also in Argentina. Alternate names: Ashlushlay, Axluslay, “Chulupe” , “Chulupí” , “Chulupie” , “Churupí” , Nivaklé. Dialects: Forest Nivaclé, River Nivaclé. Mataguayo languages in Paraguay are less similar than Mascoi languages in Paraguay (Fasold 1984). Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco

Ñandeva [tpj] 2,270 in Paraguay (2007 Perik), decreasing. 1,000 monolinguals. Population total all countries: 2,440. Chaco: Laguna Negra, Santa Elena, San Lazaro, Pykasu, Nyu Guasu, Coloni 5, Santa Teresita, Marite, Loma. Also in Argentina, Bolivia. Alternate names: Guasurango, Guasurangue, Nandeva, Ñanagua, Tapiete, Tirumbae, Yanaigua. Dialects: Linguistically between Eastern Bolivian Guarani [gui] and Paraguayan Guaraní [gug]. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarani I

Pai Tavytera [pta] 15,000 (2007 Perik), decreasing. East, Colonia Juan Carlos. Alternate names: Ava, Pai, Tavytera. Dialects: Lexical similarity: 70% with Kaiwá [kgk] of Brazil. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarani I

Plautdietsch [pdt] 38,000 in Paraguay. 19,000 who speak Plautdietsch and Standard German as L1. Chaco and east: Filadelfia, Menno Colony, Loma Plata, Neuland. Alternate names: Low German. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon

Sanapaná [sap] 6,810 (2007 Perik). 785 Sanapana, 1,085 Angaite, and 9,350 Enlit. Ethnic population: 6,814. Chaco. Sanapana north of Angaite and Lengua; Boquerón, Presidente Hayes Department, Galbán River; many at Salazar Ranch, La Patria, and Esperanza. Angaite in southeast Chaco, Presidente Hayes Department, Boquerón, San Carlos. Alternate names:Lanapsua, Quiativis, Quilyacmoc, Saapa, Sanam. Dialects: Sanapana, Angaite (Angate), Enlit (Enlhet), Covavitis (Covahloc). Lexical similarity: 85% with Northern Lengua [leg]. Classification:Mascoian

Spanish [spa] 187,000 in Paraguay (2000 WCD). Mainly Asunción, urban areas. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

Toba Qom [tob] 1,510 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Northwest of Asunción, Franciscan mission. Alternate names: Qom, Toba-Qom. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Guaicuruan

Toba-Maskoy [tmf] 1,680 (2007 Perik). East Chaco, reserve of 30,000 hectares near Puerto Victoria and Puerto Guaraní. Alternate names: Cabanatit, Machicui, Quilyilhrayrom, Toba of Paraguay. Classification:Mascoian

:: Reference ::

Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/